Comment by ggreer
2 months ago
The post doesn't link to the report itself. It looks like you can only read a summary of it for free and must pay 5.90 to download a copy.[1] From what I can glean from reading TUV's summary, it seems like the Teslas had significantly higher mileage than other vehicles (>50,000km in 2-3 years). Also their failures were mostly in brake discs and rear axle issues, which makes me think that due to regenerative braking, the discs were rusty from disuse. The rear axle issue they mention is probably a clicking noise caused by under-torqued rear halfshaft nuts.[2] Tesla updated their torque values last year[3], so this shouldn't be a problem anymore. Any older vehicle that has the click can be fixed by re-lubricating the hub and torquing the nut to the new value.
Without paying for the report, we can only speculate as to what TUV considers a serious defect. If the rates are as high as claimed (17% Model Y, 13% Model 3), then the issues are most likely minor things such as rusty brakes or rear axle clicking. Rusty brakes are less than ideal, but they're common on EVs and they work just fine. The fix is to simply use the brakes occasionally. If anything it's an indication that the vehicle requires less maintenance because the brake pads won't need replacement as frequently.
1. https://www.tuvsud.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2025/novem...
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HncCmgMp-s
3. https://service.tesla.com/docs/Model3/ServiceManual/2024/en-...
As a Ford Fusion Hybrid owner I blow out my rear brakes a lot more often out of rust and lack of use due to regen too, so the TUV is just calling out people not getting their vehicles inspected and serviced as regularly as they should.
In other words... Tesla owners just don't pay attention to service intervals as dedicated and surefast as a VW owner would.
Can cobfirm, I’ve been driving a Model 3 for 6ish years and the brakes have problems from disuse pretty regularly. It’s annoying but not critical. Other than that it has been shockingly reliable. This matches my experience.